Larceny

Contents

Larceny is your character’s ability to commit acts of burglary, to disable traps or sabotage equipment, and to perform sleight-of-hand tricks.

Burglary

With a successful Larceny check, you can open a lock on a door or safe, non-destructively open a window, or perform similar feats. Practically any of these tasks can be accomplished without a Larceny check by destroying the lock or the material around the lock; however, Larceny checks allow you to subvert any failsafes and accomplish your task without leaving a pile of debris. Generally speaking, there should not be more than two or three Larceny checks of this type required for a given "job." If an investigator uses the Perception skill, the DC to detect the forced entry is equal to the result of your Larceny check; exceeding the DC by 5 or more means that the investigator finds a clue that could point to you. A few representative obstacles follow:

DC 10: A simple, poorly secured window or gate latch.

DC 15: The lock on an old treasure chest, or a rusty lock on a door.

DC 20: A well-made mechanical lock, or a simple magitech combination.

DC 25: A well-made and advanced mechanical lock, such as a real-world 20th Century combination lock, or a magitech lock with basic security countermeasures.

DC 30: A magitech lock with personal identification capabilities.

DC 35: A magitech lock keyed to biological parts of a specific individual or group of individuals.

Disable Device

This function is basically identical to the burglary function in terms of DCs, but allows you to jam a device or even cause it to injure the user. It is, of course, possible
to destroy devices without using the Larceny skill; however, this skill allows you to subtly alter a device so it stops functioning. If you rig a device to harm the user, the Larceny DC increases by 2, and the modifications can be spotted with a Perception check with a DC equal to the result of your Larceny check. A Perception check exceeding your Larceny check by 5 or more means that a clue is spotted that could point to the person who caused the malfunction. A few representative devices, with appropriate DCs, follow:

DC 10: The wheel of a wagon.

DC 15: The firing mechanism of a crossbow.

DC 20: The steering mechanism of a ship, possibly including magitech parts. Alternatively, the trigger mechanism of a magic wand.

DC 25: The mechanism of a watch, or the magical components of a scrying device.

DC 30: A magitech information-storing terminal.

DC 35: The decision-making cortex of a golem or other magitech automaton.

Escape Artist

With a successful Larceny check, you can worm your way out of physical restraints, such as handcuffs or chains, on your character. Escaping restraints normally takes 2 [Rounds] of effort, but you can reduce the DC by 2 by taking 5 [Rounds] to attempt to escape, or you can attempt to escape as a standard action if you increase
the DC by 5.

DC 10: An ad-hoc web of belts.

DC 15: A cloth straight jacket.

DC 20: Globs and globs of sticky ectoplasm.

DC 25: An "inescapable" iron box filled with water.

DC 30: Web of the Spider Queen.

DC 35: The mystic seal meant to bar your glorious return.

Sleight of Hand

You use this function to pick someone’s pocket, conceal an object or weapon on your person, or do magic tricks on street corners. It is always evaluated as a check against a character’s Awareness defense (10 + the creature’s level + the creature’s Wisdom modifier). Picking someone’s pocket is a standard action. Your Larceny check takes a -5 penalty to conceal a weapon from a hand search.

Trap-setting

When setting a trap (such as the ones made available in the ranger’s Professional Soldier track), you can attempt to conceal the trap with a Larceny check (the DC is the Awareness defense of anyone who approaches within 10 ft of the trap). People who are actively searching for traps may make a Perception check, with the result equal to the DC of your Larceny check.